Why you should be using LinkedIn as a publishing platform

It may well be known as the social network for white-collared professionals, but that doesn’t mean to say LinkedIn should be regarded as an aloof or staid distribution channel for your content. Far from it in fact, as LinkedIn recently announced there are more than one million unique publishers on the site’s blogging platform.

Remember, if you get good traction when syndicating your content out on LinkedIn then you will be in front of a large number of decision makers, at least in B2B land if nowhere else!

This is all a far cry from a few short years ago when the platform first launched with just 150 handpicked influencers eligible to publish on it. Today, any English-speaking member can contribute to the site, with plans for other languages allegedly coming to fruition in the not too distant future.

For some, this can’t come soon enough, as the current platform is only being used by around 7 per cent of its potential user base because of language constraints.

LinkedIn’s publishing accomplishments

According to a blog post by Daniel Roth, LinkedIn’s contributors have used the platform to “discuss the future of work, the state of their industries, what companies are getting it right and which aren’t and how the professional world can be a better place.” All good stuff!

Roth goes on to add that LinkedIn’s goal was to “find a way to unlock the incredible insights in the brains and cubicles of professionals,” which would “quickly spark a conversation that leaps silos, companies, industries, and even countries.”

But in terms of sheer numbers, here are some key accomplishments to date:

More than 130,000 posts are published each week by LinkedIn’s 1 million plus contributors

Around 45 per cent of readers are those at the top of their industries, such as managers, VPs, and CEOs

The industries that demand and consume the most content are tech, financial services and higher education

The average post now reaches professionals in 21 industries and 9 different countries

How to find publishing prosperity on LinkedIn

LinkedIn says that its most successful publishers are those that publish their own content, but also read and engage with the words of other members. To this end, LinkedIn provides real-world examples of publishers that have greatly benefitted from the platform.

Jeff Morgan, president of Morgan Miller Plumbing in Kansas City, said that while LinkedIn’s members can help boost the popularity of his posts, getting involved with the content of others is equally important. “You must participate, you must read others articles, like others posts, let them know you are out there thinking of them,” he noted. “It cannot be just about you and what you’d like to say.”

Another example is Julie Rottenberg, a former Sex and the City writer who is now show runner on US TV channel Bravo’s new comedy, Odd Mom Out. A post about how this role came about managed to achieve 68,000 views and 178 comments, with many of its users revealing they would now watch the show as a result. “The overwhelmingly positive response has been so heartening — and shocking, given the state of most comments online,” she said.

For more on how you can use LinkedIn as a publishing platform, get in touch with Mint Candy today for some actionable tips and tricks to boost your social media campaign up to the next level.